A Letter from West Australia. Walter Bell, whom all the Riverina lads know well, writes as follows, from West Australia to Secretary Head : — Murchison Goldfield, August 29th, 1891. Immediately on landing in Perth, I heard of gold having been discovered here, so I made tracks at. once. This place is three hundred and hft y miles inland from Champion Bay. Swags and tucker sixpence per pound for cartage — weighed to the ounce. Reaching here, we found that two men — Bailey and Taylor-— had picked up seven hundred ounces, three hundred of which they obtained on the surface in one day. Macpherson and Peterkin, the original prospec tors, are reported to have one thousand ounces. There are about two hundred men here now, some of whom are making tucker, the majority doing absolutely nothing. I haven't got a colour yet; and unless matters mend I don't know how the deuce I am going to get away. Work is quite out of the question, as the squatters run the niggers in, and compel them to affix th...

It Will Not Down. The New Nation. The organic editor in Massachusetts has not had a task set for him these many years that is so awkward as the treatment of the People's Party platform. It cannot be safely ridiculed, because many Republicans and Democrats have long been getting upon the advanced ground now pre-empted by the new party. It cannot be brushed aside as unimportant, for it isn't. It cannot be argued down, because it proposes a scheme of legislation that appeals in many of its provisions to the common sense of the most intelligent portions of the com munity. It cannot be denounced as a class movement, for behind it stand a labourer, a farmer, an average merchant and a nationalist. They do well who pause before such a formid able coming together of patriotic citizens. This year the People's Party in this State may hold the balance of power ; next year it may hold more. The above applies exactly to the position of the average editor and politician with regard to the Labour P...

Free Railways. [By Loco.] Why not run our trains absolutely free both for freight and -passengers P It would equalize the values of land of equal quality irrespective of position, or nearly so. It would convey the workmen to where there was work to be done, thus suiting both employers and employed. It would be equal to a high protective duty to the farmer, without making' his grain o o dearer to the consumer , as such a duty would do. It would also give him his implements and all articles of consumption at rates as low as at present, less cost of carriage, thus benefitting him both ways. It would' enable most people to live out of town, thus reducing the competition for city properties, and lowering rents to the city toilers, now compelled to herd together in j* j ? ? ? ^ j_i _ i . n ,i curry siums ior tne saKe or economy; thereby lessening the curse of centralization with all its accompanying evils. If anybody is anxious for more reasons as to the desirability of running free railw...

A Good Reason. ' You can't leave a shed until its f cut out ' without a good reason,' said a squatter to a shearer. ' Ah, yes,' said Jack Parker thought f ully, ' if you had a better shed to go to, that would be a good reason, I should say.' Well done, Jack, had him there. Phee — Loo.

Union -Items. Bendnck. Mr. A. Moffatt, manager, gave the shearers 23s. per 100 sheep during the latter half of the shearing to make up for the sheep being very ' daggy,' and also as a wise recognition of the fact that he had a lot of really good shearers — staunch union men at that. Bob Stevenson, one of the best known and best liked agents who ever travelled Victoria and Riverina, is shearing there ; also J em Halpin, and others well known among the lads. Euuosiyhareenyha. This shed cut out on Monday after eighteen days5 shearing. All hands paid up to the Union. Jim Mooney, Chairman 'Wagga Branch, was representative, and started read ing and discussion on Caesar's Column and other books. Bandnre. Moses Wright, representative, with some other good men, speedily induced twelve specials' to join the Union; and one fflone fisherman,' who wouldn't join, soon ' took sirocco.' The representative and Paddy Healey, after cutting out at Bun dure, called in at- Brookong, and enrolled a lot of...

Special Notice. Whether the Hummer is to become a per # manent institution or not, rests entirely with the members of the Unions. If co-operation is a good thing, let us practise it by running a co-operative labor journal. If we get the hearty assistance of Unionists we can get along with the project ; and it goes without t saying that a great deal of good can be accom plished in this way without conflicting with our older and larger labor journals. There is room enough for our little paper, and if it j\ hums along, as we hope it will, we will have k the satisfaction of knowing that no private ^ individual will be enabled to build up a monopoly at our expanse. ?s The matter will be thoroughly ventilated at sA the next general meeting of the Wagga Branch, A.S.U. and G.L.U., and a workable WN scheme drafted and submitted to members, jv/ In the meantime, we want all hands to let us know what they they think of the idea, and whether they will each contribute about half-a-crown apiece pe...

' US.' I To-DAr we present our readers with the Srst number of Tile Hummer, and so long as the people continue to read, Tiie Hummer will continue to ' hum.' Our object is to afford members of the Wagga Branch of tlie A.S.U. and Gr.L.U. reliable information as to the progress of their own Unions and Labour organisations generally. ° The conductors of this paper are going to do the literary work purely as a labour of love, and when their brains run dry of original mat£er, they intend to make use of the office shears and the paste-pot without charging the original authors anything extra for pushing their pro ductions to the front. It doesn't matter whether the Editor gets hanged for refusing to howl* ' Grod Save the Queen,' or imprisoned for 120 years for boohooing scabs, or exiled to Siberia for looking cross-eyed at a special constable, there will always be a spare one on hand to run the show, and we will continue to hum right along. There are about five thousand members of the two U...

Demonstration Day. Monday (the 19th) will be a great day in Wagga. It will be the occasion of the Third o o Annual Sports Gathering of the United Friendly Societies and Amalgamated Shearers' Union. A good j^rogramme has been arranged, a-nd the procession consisting of ten societies will be a fine sight. The shearers will all be mounted, and with bands playing and banners waving, the turn-out should be a brave one, indeed.

Political Notes. Some of those people who are not very well up in the true meaning of democracy object to the Labour Party in the House giving paupers a vote, on the grounds that only those who pay taxes should have the suffrage. They say that it is ridiculous for a pauper to be on a political equality with the man who has always been steady and saving, and has paid his way. That kind of an argument might pass muster with the average pot-hatted, big-bellied sup porter of law and ordah don't yer know ' ; but democrats should never forget that we maintain that every man has to obey the laws, and for that reason alone should have an equal right with every other man in voting for those who make the laws. If we once depart from this position, then we may expect to hear the selector ask why his ploughman should have the same political powers that he has. The squatter will put the same query as to his shearer, and the merchant as to his clerk. Depend upon it, the only safe, because the onl...

A Ready Reckoner. 6. Once a week, on a day to be named at commencement of shearing, on demand, the employer shall pay to the shearer any sum not exceeding 50 per centum of the amount due over and above one week's earnings at the time of such demand, except in case of the shearer breaking this Agreement. The above is a clause of Conference Shearing Agreement. A shearer at Toogimbri wanted to draw 50 per cent of his wages. He reckoned it this way: £ s. d. Sheep shorn, 1,200 ... ... ... 12 0 0 First week deducted 200 ... ... 2 0 0 10 0 0 Ration account deducted ... ... 300 Net amount due ... ... ... 7 00 Fifty per centum asked for ... 3 10 0 The shearer wanted -£3, but was refused as the pious and ingenious John Dill reckons it this way : £ s. d. Sheep shorn, 1200 ... ... ... 12 0 0 First week, 200 ... ... ... 2 0 0 10 0 0 Fifty per centum ... ... ... 5 0 0 Ration account deducted ... ... 3 0 0 Balance due (according to the squatter) ? 2 0 0 What do you think of it ? Isn't he a whale a...

WOMAN SUFFRAGE. The foregoing arguments apply equally in favour of Woman Suffrage, but there are others — stronger ones, too. Women, when married, earn their living by their attention to household duties and the cares of home and family as fairly as their husbands earn theirs. Thousands of single women have no one but themselves to look to for support, or even dis interested advice. Let anyone think of the thousands of single women engaged as tailor esses, dressmakers, waitresses, laundresses, &amp;c., and the widows who oft times toil early and late to keep themselves and their families. All women who do anything to earn their living, are tax-payers equally with the men. All women, married or single, idle or in dustrious, have to live under the laws, and suffer similar penalties for disobeying them, therefore, in common justice, they should exercise an equal voice in electing the law makers. But some say they will make a bad use of their power if you give them votes, and will p...

For the Best Shearers' Turn-out. (Horses in full rig for the track.) Mr. Rudd, saddler, of Wagga, gives a six guinea saddle ; Mr. Mansfield gives a D.R. bridle for second prize and Messrs. Curran and Byrne present the third man with a pair spurs.

Wages and Work in tlie Waterless West. As we can't afford -to send an agent to Western Australia, expressly for the purpose of ascertaining what sort of a country it is to starve comfortably in, we print the following letter from a worker who wanted to get rich in a hurry, and went to Western Australia to commence operations : — Perth, Sept. 30, 1891. Dear ? , I have just got back from the Murchison alleged goldfields after a most un profitable trip. I didn't get enough gold to pay carriage on my swag, and scores of others had eaual luck. On reading: the pacers to-dav. you can judge of my surprise on seeing the most glowing accounts of this field I have just left in disgust. The Daily News says they have excellent authority for stating that one man on the field had got four hundred ounces of gold in a few weeks by dollying and fossiking I made inquiries, and find this previous piec of bunkum was supplied to the Neivs by a jokei who had fifty feet of a reef on the field and he wanted...

fJ|L Special^ Notice. t ' ' ' t '? *fl' * ' '??'???? ? ' ' \v ' lffether the Hummer' is to become a* per ? * institution or not, rests entirely with tTj' lembers of the Unions. If co-operation -Ais* pod thing', let u'3- practice it by running ' '1- Operative, labor journal. If we get the fly assistance, of, Unionists we can get - wjtli the prrject ; and it goes without Jggfgp'3 f4? that a great deal or good^au be accpm P|IL (fed-, in .this 'way without conflicting with mkm and larger labor journals. ; Th^re is «ga^gh ?for %-.oar y^itjle/paper, ? and if it Just® I vifitlsfaction of knowing that no private Hdftal will bo enribledto build up a S's^'irj-! (^-oly at our expense. . ; \ -'/-*, k' matter will be thoroughly ventilated at ,l T1 thojjuoxt general meeti n g of the W agga ^Jiraich, A.S.U. and Q.L.U., and a workable sclu.'me drafted and submitted to members.' r ' ; In ttie. meantime, we want all hands to lot us , = kno-y. 'Whafc they think of the idea, and. - v wh^tiher they will...

imm* MADE A MOUTHPIECE. i,.. ( ? — ? — ^ ? (( p A STORY. OF SIREN UPUS STRUGGLE AND SOLID SUCCESS. I \^rhat Organization and Cooperative Effort have Accomplished in iiie j \\ W. Matter of Labor Journalism. ? I It vis to be regretted that the early re cord^of tlie Australian' Workers' Union are obly -partially preserved. ? The ? first -? official report of Conference - wo - have been able to consult is that of 1889, but it would appear, that i the question of the. ownership by the J Unions of a newspaper'' was no,t ''then en- i tirely; new. The'' Annual * Report presented.! t*-: Conference contained the .following j paragraph ^ t ' ' - FJ ? ' ? : ? ; 4 : v 'It is with regret fyhat we have- to refer to the opposition received from a section ^of the Press, 'which has gone out of its' way to attack 1 the :.U nion , and endeavor . to prejudice the public mind against us, by the' publica tion \o£ false reports. It caii-: be, plain lyf. seen that these attacks were inspired by the. capital...

Wagga Branch SSiearers' Union, V THE SHEARING- AGREEMENT, Etc. A. special general meeting of the Wagga branch of the A.S.U, of Australia was con vened by circular to be held at the TemjDer ance Hall, Wagga, at 5 p.m. on Saturday, but the proceedings were ? not commenced ; before P p.m., and did not terminate until 1 o'clock .^n Sunday morning. The. circular was as follows: — Wagga Branch A.S.U., 6th October. Business sheet (compiled from suggestions sent forward by members) for consideration at special general meeting to be held at Wagga on Saturday, * 17th October. 1. Federation scheme as drafted by Inter colonial Congress. 2. Alterations in and determination of pre sent shearing agreement. ?3. Alteration of date of election of, branch officers. 4. Curtailment of branches and employment of travelling agents. 5. Establishment of labour newspaper for Riverina, same to be the property of the unions. ? 6. Daggy sheep. 7. Alteration of rule re supply of combs and cutters. 8. Union offic...

Special Notice. Whether the Hummer is to be run per manently or not, rests entirely with the , members of the Unions. If members believe in the principle of co operation, now is tne time to prove it Dy mailing a success of the first co-operative Labour journal in New South Wales. The Shearers' Record newspaper in Victoria has done some good work, but it is owned privately, and the profits, if any, go towards building up a private monopoly to which we, as unionists, must object on principle. Send along suggestions from District Com mittees, sheds, or individual members, as to price to be charged, or whether the Unions shall subsidise it out of the funds by paying so much per member per year, and then dis tributing free to each member. Also, what do you 'think' of the idea of buy ing ' a small plant and doing all our own printing ? If we register the Hummer it can then be sent post free, which will save present expense of circulars, etc. At the next Annual Meetings of the Wagga Branch...